The head of the CDC defended the latest guidelines shortening the isolation period for certain people who test positive for COVID amid criticism from public health experts who believe a negative test should also be included in the recommendation.
Infectious disease specialist Dr. Todd Ellerin discusses the CDC’s new isolation guidelines and what we can expect as COVID-19 continues to surge.The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defended the latest guidelines shortening the isolation period for certain people who test positive for COVID amid criticism from public health experts who believe a negative test should also be included in the recommendation.
"We also don't know that antigen tests give a good indication of transmissibility at this stage of infection. On the other hand, we know that after five days people are much less likely to transmit the virus and that masking further reduces that risk. And this is why people need to mask for five days after the five days of isolation," she said.
The current guidelines are that a person with a positive COVID-19 test should isolate for five days, regardless of their vaccination status. If a person never had or no longer has symptoms after five days, they can leave isolation. They should then wear a mask for the next five days, even at home, according to the guidance.
"What the FDA was saying was that when they were looking at the sensitivity with regard to omicron in some of the tests, there appears to be somewhat of a diminution, not a disappearance, but a diminution of the sensitivity," Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the White House, said at the briefing.
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